London's winter warmers - the best winter terraces

All over London restaurants, bars and hotels are shaking out their fur throws, lighting lanterns and warming up hot toddies as they open their winter terraces for the season. We pick the best winter warmer spots around town.

Alpine winter terrace

Where: Orrery

The Orrery's terrace will be given an Alpine makeover with frosted fir trees, fairy lights over the olive trees and loads of sheepskin rugs, blankets and fur cushions. To drink how about a Winter Spice mixing apple and cinnamon with Courvoisier VS Cognac. Food is similarly warming - the special menu includes sirloin steak with a gruyere fondue sauce which comes with pomme cocotte - potatoes cooked in beurre noisette and garlic.

Paying homage to Winston Churchill’s love of Scotland this Marylebone bar is going all Highlands for its winter theme. So expect a roaring fire, plenty of tartan and a menu of Scottish and Churchill themed cocktails matched with comfort food like Scottish steak pie and Scotch eggs.

The outdoor shuffleboard lanes at this East London spot have been replaced with cosy seating areas for the winter, each accommodating up to 10 people. Each will have its own open fire pit and you can order all the ingredients you need to make s'mores over the fires. Winter cocktails include a Blueberry Glogg made with Ruby Port, Oloroso Sherry, Abbots Bitters, Cinnamon and red wine.

Savage Garden’s 12th story terrace has been made over CS Lewis style with silver birches, the iconic lamp post and even the White Witch’s throne. Drinks include a Magical Martini made with fig liqueur, ‘miracle foam’ and sprinkled with raspberry dust and Tumnus’s Tea – a hot toddy of Absolut Elyx, poppy tea, saffron, condensed milk and star anise.

The immersive film crowd have created a magical winter paradise in Central London featuring giant snow globes, an ice-rink and snow on demand. Watch festive favourites like The Holiday and Frozen while enjoying frozen cocktail and popcorn or festive sliders. You can even book a log cabin if there's a group of you.

This 10th-floor terrace is going for an Icelandic theme with igloos and a Reyka cocktail menu. The igloos can be booked for up to 10 and the food comes in sharing platters - dishes include turkey brochettes topped with brussel sprouts and Kentucky fried cauliflower with piquillo pepper ketchup.

Rosewood London's winter terrace is always pretty impressive and this year keeps the standard high - run in conjunction with Glenlivet it's all about that Scottish whisky, with a menu of hold and cold modern twists on a selection of cocktails. And the food comes from the Holborn Dining Room, so we presume there are pies.

It's all about fondue and fizz at The Hari - choose from your own savoury or sweet fondues which come with a glass of Moët & Chandon Brut for £16 per person (two minimum). There'll also be winter cocoa and eggnog on offer too.

Down by the river, the Truffle Hut at Pont de la Tour seats two and serves up a four-course menu and a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne while you gaze over the Thames (or into each other's eyes).

Now open to the public at the weekends, the Devonshire Club's Garden Terrace will be screening festive favourites throughout November and December. Book a package which includes a picnic hamper with hot dogs, popcorn, welsh rarebit and a flask of Hot Liqueur Chocolate, as well as hot water bottles and blankets.

From 16 November, Regent’s Place Plaza will be home to The Winter Retreat - a tipi complete with roaring fire, bar and live music.